The dimension tears apart, and a new dimension emerges from within it, sending time back two minutes. Xers and Fukaru still haven't seen each other.
''H-He used it! Hanken, are you alright?''
''I-I'm fine...''
''What's wrong?''
''T-This ability is going to cause us a lot of trouble.''
''It will, but as the Miracle Of Shadowia, we'll overcome it! W-Wait... Where's Varaichi?''
''V-Varaichi... I don't know. Didn't we jump onto the ship at the same time?''
''Y-Yeah.''
''I don't know what happened to her after that. Shit, DON'T TELL ME!...''
''H-Holy shit... I hope nothing happened to her...''
Meanwhile, Varaichi was lying unconscious on the floor with a dark magic mask covering her face. Slowly, her consciousness returned. She opened her eyes and stared at the mold-covered ceiling of the cell, trying to figure out what had happened.
''W-Where am I?''
The blood on Varaichi's face had already clotted and darkened. Several of her bones were also broken.
''A-A-AHH! E-Everything hurts! I-I remember... Y-Yunkei... H-Hirosato... What the hell happened back there?''
Then, the sound of an anchor being dropped came from the ship. Immediately afterward, footsteps echoed from the stairs. Several Nyxia sorcerers had come to take Varaichi out of her cell. Varaichi watched them curiously through the gaps in the cell as the Nyxia sorcerers approached the door.
''If I'm not mistaken, you're Varaichi Andante, right?''''W-Who are you?! Get me out of here!''''Hahaha! Let's get you out, then!''
The sorcerer opened the cell door.
Varaichi quickly stepped out and tried to activate her power.
''Fire's Descendant!''
She tried to activate her mask, but after a few wisps of smoke escaped from her face, nothing happened. The dark magic mask had completely suppressed Fire's Descendant.
''HAHAHAHA! And she actually thought she could still use it! Thanks to that mask on your face, you won't be able to access any of your powers. You're no different from an ordinary human now!''
Varaichi swallowed her anger and fell silent. The sorcerer pulled a pair of chained restraints from his waist.
''Anyway, you're going to give us information for Nyxia! We're taking you to Brave, the city closest to the port. But don't even think about talking back... I'll smash that already messed-up face of yours myself. Got it? Now turn around.''
The sorcerer put the restraints on Varaichi and led her off the ship. After walking for several hundred meters, Varaichi and the sorcerers finally reached the city of Brave.
The people watched them curiously. The other Nyxia sorcerers marched in neat formation. While some of the crowd cheered for the soldiers, others jeered at Varaichi.
''SHAMELESS WOMAN!''''WEAKLING!''''YOU'RE WORTHLESS!''''SHADOWIA DOG!''
Varaichi was then brought to the army headquarters. She was tied to a chair in a dark room.
About ten minutes later, someone entered the room. Footsteps echoed through the empty chamber.
Steps
Then, a light bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered on, casting a dim light across the room.
Varaichi's face became visible. Her hands were tied behind the chair, while her feet were fastened to the two legs of the chair.
''Greetings, Shadowia woman.''
''H-H-Hi?''
''You probably have a rough idea why you've been brought here. My name is Okiri Rosetsu. We need you to be useful to us. If you cooperate, you'll simply live a relatively normal life as a prisoner until the end of the war. But if you refuse to cooperate, what happens next won't be my concern. It'll be the concern of the sorcerers under my command. The torture rooms are one floor below. If you give us the information without making things difficult, we won't have to take you there.''
''H-Hahah... You're asking the head captain of Shadowia to betray her homeland... You picked the wrong person, Rosetsu.''
''So be it. Here's the first question. Explain all of Thend Xers' abilities to us, one by one.''
''Don't you dare say Xers' name!''
''Thend Xe—''
''I SAID DON'T SAY HIS NAME!''
Rosetsu kicked Varaichi in a sudden burst of anger. Varaichi fell to the floor together with the chair and writhed in pain.
''Ahhh! M-My arm...''
The sorcerers standing behind Rosetsu immediately lifted Varaichi back up.
''Alright. We'll discuss this matter in the torture rooms.''
Rosetsu pulled a radio from his waist.
''Do you know who's commanding the army holding the western side of Vespera?''
''S-Sir, there are currently four people of the highest rank there. Their names are Koji, Kiroschi, Ayari, and Himaru. However, we don't know which one is the highest-ranking commander. If information comes in from there, we'll shoot that person.''
The moment Varaichi heard Kiroschi's name, her eyes widened in panic. Rosetsu immediately noticed her reaction.
''We've got information, kid. Shoot Kiroschi.''
Varaichi screamed.
''N-NO! NO! Y-YOU BASTARDS!''
''Hey, hey, calm down, little lady. We're only going to shoot your brother.''
Meanwhile, Kiroschi was still on the battlefield.
''Keep attacking, sorcerers! We won't let the western flank fall!''
Just then, the Lord Of Sea slowly turned toward the western side of Vespera. It aimed directly at Kiroschi's position.
The crystals on top of the ship began glowing blue.
Then they exploded, firing toward Kiroschi.
Kiroschi and the sorcerers beside him were suddenly engulfed in flames and poison.
''W-W-WHAT IS HAPPENI—''
At that exact moment, Varaichi screamed from inside the interrogation room.
''D-DON'T HURT MY BROTHER!''
''We already shot him...''
Varaichi suddenly snapped.
She began screaming in rage as she desperately pulled against the restraints. The chains suddenly broke, freeing her hands and feet.
She immediately kicked Rosetsu with tremendous force.
Rosetsu went tumbling across the table.
Varaichi quickly turned around and knocked the other two sorcerers unconscious with her fists. However, the remaining sorcerers immediately intervened and grabbed hold of Varaichi's arms.
They dragged Varaichi down to the lowest floor, where the torture rooms were located.
The entire floor was pitch black.
One of the torture rooms contained a special torture cell. The cell was only about 1.20 meters tall. The floor was covered with sharp spikes designed to make it impossible to sit down or kneel without hurting your bare feet.
They threw Varaichi inside.
Then they completely locked the door.
The inside of the cell was pitch black. Nothing could be seen.
Varaichi couldn't sit down, but she couldn't stand upright either. She was forced to remain bent over.
Having to stay like that for hours would feel like an eternity.
It was one of Nyxia's infamous torture chambers.
In Nyxia, torture was considered a tradition. Any prisoner of war or criminal would immediately be thrown into the torture rooms and punished there.